WYAAP Statement on the Maguindanao Massacre

On 23 November 2009, 57 innocent civilians were brutally and senselessly murdered in the southern province of Maguindanao in the Philippines. Most of them were en route to file a certificate of candidacy for Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu, when their path was blocked by several armed men. They were abducted, together with some innocent passers-by who may have witnessed the harassment of the former party. They were later killed and then dumped into mass graves.

The World Youth Alliance (WYA), a global coalition of over 20,000 young people from all over the world dedicated to promoting the dignity of the person, condemns the killings that took place in Maguindanao. They are in direct violation of the dignity of each person involved in these events, and it is unacceptable that such things should occur in the Philippines or anywhere else. Likewise, it is unacceptable that no one has, as of yet, been held accountable for this heinous crime.

We call on all people, most especially the youth, to be vigilant in watching the events succeeding the massacre in Maguindanao and to voice out their own reactions to these events. It is important that we discuss and evaluate, that we might better grasp how sacred life is, and understand that no one has the right to take the life of any other human being.

We remember the lives lost in Maguindanao and demand that justice be served. Their families, loved ones, and those they have left behind are in our thoughts. We pray for their strength and safety in these difficult times, and we pray that shameless, cruel and unnecessary acts such as these never happen again.